Adapter for women&#39;s galoshes



I 1949 N. A. DODGE 2,489,01

ADAPTER FOR WOMENS GALOSHES Filed Feb. 2'7, 1948 INVENTOR. N4 7791 fl. DODGE,

Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADAPTER FOR WOMENS GALOSHES Natalie A. Dodge, 'liakoma Park, Md.

Application February 27, 1948, Serial No. 11,799

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to adapters for women's galeshes, and more particularly to adapters which enable the galoshto be worn with shoes having different types of heels, or no heels at all.

As is well known, the average woman's galosh has a relatively deep heel cavity which is generally adapted to only one style of shoe. For instance, a galosh adapted for use with a highheeled shoe may not be worn with a shoe having a semi-high heel, such as the Cuban heel, and obviously cannot be worn with a heelless type of shoe, such as the type of shoe having wedge combined sole and heel. Thus, the average woman must have a different pair of galoshes for each type of shoe worn by her, or must wear only the type of shoe suitable to the particular galoshes she owns when wearing galoshes. Obviously, this is inconvenient in inclement weather, and/ or extremely expensive.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to provide a novel adapter for womens galoshes, whereby a single pair of galoshes is adapted for wear with at least three types of shoes.

A further object is to provide an adapter for womens galoshes which comprises an insert for the heel cavity of a standard galosh which will enable the galosh to "be worn with at least two types of shoes in addition to the type for which the galosh was originally fitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter such as that last described which is readily removable from and attachable to a standard galosh in accordance with the type of shoe desired to be worn.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of the invention, in the structure and arrangement of the particular portions making up the adapter according to the invention, and will be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference to the attached drawing in connection with the following specification, wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale showing an adapter according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on a reduced scale;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is :a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the plane of the line -4-'4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view on a reduced scale showing the adapter according to the invention applied to a 'g'alosh, the 'galosh being shown in broken lines.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters have been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, Ill designates generally an adapter according to the invention which comprises a substantially heel-shaped block which may be formed of rigid or semi-rigid material. I have found that a block formed of a composition corresponding to that comprising rubber heels is satisfactory, and I have also found that blocks formed of light weight wood, such as balsa wood, are like-wise satisfactory. The block according to the invention is substantially the shape of a Cuban heel and adapted to have a close fit in the heel cavity of a galosh l9, Figure 5. The block comprises a substantially straight front wall ii and a curved or horseshoe-shaped side, rear and side wall 52. The walls H and I2 define a central cavity it for a purpose to be described later. It should be noted that the walls II and !2 are substantially thick, whereby to be substantially rigid in so far as supporting the shoe of the wearer is concerned. The side wall l2 and the front wall it are formed with a plurality of horizontally-disposed spaced apertures I5 and It, respectively, therein, the purpose of which is to give to the walls a certain flexibility or resiliency in vertical directions. Likewise, the front and side walls 1 l and i2 are formed with at least one circumferential series of spaced, vertically-disposed apertures or holes 16 which open upwardly through the upper surface of the block. Around the side walls i2, the apertures or holes l6 extend below the plane of the horizontal apertures I5, but in the front wall ll, Figure 2, the apertures it intersect the horizontal holes I8 and there terminate.

Also, it is preferable that a second circumfer entially dis-posed series of spaced holes ii is formed around at least the side wall l2 outwardly of the series of holes it. This last-named series of holes '5 are materially shorter than the holes it and intersect the horizontal holes [5 and there terminate. Thus, above the plane of the horizontal holes it, the wall portions of the block are materially more flexible than are the wall portions below such holes by virtue of the fact that two series of vertically-extending holes are there disposed. Thus, the upper portions of the block are more flexible than the lower portions for a purpose which will be apparent.

The aperture M in the block 10 terminates well below the under surface of the block to provide a substantially thick floor 20 which serves to protect the sole of the galosh heel from being cut or scored by hard leather heels used by the wearer.

In the operation of the device, a galosh IQ, for instance, is adapted for use with shoes having Cuban heels. Therefore, if the galoshes were worn with high heels, the heel cavity of the galosh would not fit closely around the heels of the high-heeled shoes, whereby a loose fit would be achieved. Likewise, in view of the fact that the so-called type of wedge sole has no recess between the heel and the sole, the galosh l9 could not be worn with such type of shoe. However, by inserting an adapter according to the invention in the heel cavity of the galosh, the galosh is immediately adapted for use with either heelless wedgesoled shoes or with high heels. Thus, if a wedgetype sole shoe is used, the fiat heel portion of the shoe rests atop the walls H and I2 and is firmly supported thereby. The portion of the galosh defining the arch of the shoe is not crushed down by the use of a wedge sole, and the wearer is enabled to walk about wearing galoshes without any discomfort or damage to the galosh. In like manner, if the user desires to wear high heels with the galosh, the high heels are seated in the sockets or recesses Id of the blocks I0. Such sockets or recesses are designed to have a relatively close fit with the high heels, and in view of the fact that the upper portions of the walls 62 of the block are more flexible than the lower portions, such upper portions of the walls readily yield to conform to the configuration of a high heel. Likewise, they provide a substantially resilient grip on the high heel and prevent lateral play of the same in the heel cavity of the galosh. At the same time, the relatively thick bottom wall 20 of the block serves as adequate protection against the heel portion of the sole of the galosh against cutting by the sharp edges of the usual high heel.

Obviously, the block according to the invention may assume other forms. For instance, in the event that the galosh was adapted for high heels and it was desired to use an adapter permitting use of a wedge-type sole, there would be no necessity to provide the cavity or recess 14 in the block.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expres-, sions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. An adapter for a womans galosh, of the type including relatively high arches providing a relatively deep shoe heel-receiving cavity rearwardly of said arches, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to fill the same substantially to the level of said arches whereby to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, said block being formed with an upwardly-directed high heelreceiving recess therein defined by thick relatively rigid Walls, and said recess comprising means for adapting said galosh to a high-heeled shoe.

2. An adapter for a womans galosh, including a relatively deep shoe heel-receiving cavity, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, and said block being formed with at least one circumferentially-disposed series of spaced vertical holes for increasing the flexibility of said block in lateral directions.

3. An adapter for a womans galosh, including a relatively deep shoe heel-receiving cavity, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, and said block being formed with a horizontally-disposed series of spaced holes therethrough for increasing the resiliency of said block in vertical directions.

4. An adapter for a womans galosh, including a relatively deep shoe heel-receiving cavity, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, said block being formed with a pair of radially-spaced circumferentially-disposed series of spaced vertical holes therein, to increase the flexibility of said block in lateral directions, and one series of said holes being deeper than the other.

5. An adapter for a womans galosh, including a relatively deep shoe heelreceiving cavity, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, said block being formed with an upwardly-directed high heel-receiving recess therein defined by thick relatively rigid walls, said walls being formed with at least one circumferentially-disposed series of upwardly-directed spaced vertical holes for increasing the flexibility of said walls in lateral directions and providing a yieldable socket for adapting said recess to the configuration of a high heel.

6. An adapter for a womans galosh, including a relatively deep shoe heel-receiving cavity, comprising a semi-resilient block substantially complementary to said cavity, said block being adapted to be detachably seated in said cavity to adapt said galosh for a heelless shoe, said block being formed with an. upwardly-directed high heel-receiving recess therein defined by thick rigid walls, said Walls being formed with a pair of radial1y-spaced circumferentially-disposed series of spaced vertical holes therein to increase the flexibility of said walls in lateral directions, one series of said holes being deeper than the other, and said recess and holes providing a yieldable socket readily adaptable to configuration of a high heel, with upper portions of said walls having greater yieldability than lower portions.

7. An adapter for a womans galosh of the type including a relatively high arch providing a relatively deep shoe-heel-receiving cavity rearwardly of said arch comprising a block complementary to said cavity and adapted to be detachably seated therein to fill the same and provide a platform substantially flush with said arch, said block being formed with an upwardlydirected recess therein defined by thick and relatively rigid walls, the recess providing a socket for the heel of a high-heeled shoe.

NATALIE A. DODGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 466,297 Cross Dec. 29, 1891 2,408,564: Lea Oct. 1, 1946 

